More questions than answers in dog mauling of Baker City boy

A pit bull that killed a 5-year-old Baker City boy Friday morning will be put down in the next few days, District Attorney Matt Shirtcliff told the Statesman Monday.

Jordan Ryan bled to death after he was mauled by the dog, according to an autopsy performed by State Medical Examiner Karen Gunson. About 150 people attended a memorial service for the boy Sunday, according to the Baker City Herald.

Baker City Police Chief Wyn Lohner said police are investigating the background of the dog, but so far they have not found evidence of any prior incidents.

The incident occurred at a home in the 1900 block of 14th Street in Baker City. The boy was visiting a friend, and the dog was inside a fenced yard at the house. No one else was attacked.

Shirtcliff said the dog — a pure-bred pit bull — is currently being held at a local veterinary facility.

The district attorney said the Baker City Police are still investigating, so he declined to comment on whether there were any witnesses to the attack.

“We want to make sure we don’t miss anything,” Shirtcliff said.

After the investigation is completed, he will review it for potential charges.

Baker City has about 10,000 residents, many of whom own dogs. Dog bites happen around once a month, but attacks are rare. Lohner said pit bulls are popular in the area.

“It’s a status thing for a lot of younger folks,” he said.

A pit bull in the city killed chickens in a neighbor’s yard this summer. Police tried to serve papers on the dog’s owner to have it removed from the city, but they had already left.